Four Tips to Break Out of the Post-Midterm Slump
It’s halfway through the fall semester – midterms are over, you’re counting down the days until Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and you’re feeling so done with school. Here are some tips on how to get through the rest of the semester!
- Adjust your study habits
Sometimes midterms can leave us feeling less than enthused about our grades. If you didn’t do too hot on the midterm, try to find a different way to study (or, maybe, try actually doing the readings). Make sure you’re keeping up with your homework, turning assignments in on time, and taking quality notes during class. When you’re on top of your courses, final exams won’t seem so daunting, and you may be able to pull that D up to a B, without desperately begging your professor for extra credit.
- Print out all your syllabi
It can be overwhelming to try to remember when everything is due when you’re taking 15 credit hours. Printing out your class syllabi can be helpful – keep them in a folder, or tape them to the walls of your dorm so that you will have easy access to due dates and basic guidelines. An agenda can also be a viable organizational tool, but that requires you to remember to write down due dates – and that can be a hassle.
- Eat nutritiously
Toward the end of the semester, you’re bound to have several papers, projects, and group work coming up. That can mean added stress and less sleep. Eating like crap is only going to make you feel worse. I know how tempting it can be to grab fast food late at night, or to get the Venti caramel macchiato with whipped cream, but your body will thank you for grabbing a healthier option. You’ll feel more energized and eat less often. Save the binge eating for Thanksgiving.
- Plan ahead
If you know you have a large assignment due around Halloween or Thanksgiving, do your best to try to get it done beforehand. You’ll feel so much better getting drunk in a costume if you don’t have to worry about that paper due Monday. And nobody wants to bring homework home over thanksgiving break, so make sure you commit a few extra hours the leading weeks beforehand to any big project you know will be due when you return. If you don’t, Thanksgiving break wont feel much like a “break” at all.